Overview

Aimed at advanced undergraduates and graduate students, When Things Grow Many is an accessible and engaging textbook introducing the theory of statistical mechanics, as well as its fascinating real-world applications. The book's original approach, which covers interdisciplinary applications of statistical mechanics to a wide range of subjects, including chemistry, biology, linguistics, economics, sociology and more, is bound to appeal to a wide audience. While the first part of the book introduces the various methods of statistical physics, including complexity, emergence, universality, self-organized criticality, power laws and other timely topics, the final sections focus on specific relevance of these methods to the social, biological and physical sciences. The mathematical content is woven throughout the book in the form of equations, as well as further background and explanations being provided in footnotes and appendices.

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9780198861881

Table of Contents

Reviews

This book has a good mix of interesting topics and shows the breadth of application of the statistical mechanics concepts. * Robert M. Ziff, University of Michigan * The book's subject is one which is of great interest and impacts many areas both within and outside physics. I am not aware of any other textbook which includes engaging mathematical content alongside a wide range of accessible applications, so this text has the potential to appeal to both the lay person and the technical expert. * Peter Richmond, Trinity College Dublin * Explores statistical mechanics at its glorious best, in the form of practical applications of collective behaviors found in the real world. Schulman is refreshingly honest in his approach, helping to stake out the frontiers of the field, posing problems that will inspire and direct future generations of scientists. * Daniel Sheehan, University of San Diego * I think that the book's collection of topics and its unique style make it a useful addition to the more standard textbook offering. Moreover, given the more colloquial style of the book, I imagine that it may be suitable for an audience that is interested in the physics of emergence and complexity that goes beyond the popular science literature. * Stefan Kirchner, Zhejiang University *

This book has a good mix of interesting topics and shows the breadth of application of the statistical mechanics concepts. * Robert M. Ziff, University of Michigan * The book's subject is one which is of great interest and impacts many areas both within and outside physics. I am not aware of any other textbook which includes engaging mathematical content alongside a wide range of accessible applications, so this text has the potential to appeal to both the lay person and the technical expert. * Peter Richmond, Trinity College Dublin * Explores statistical mechanics at its glorious best, in the form of practical applications of collective behaviors found in the real world. Schulman is refreshingly honest in his approach, helping to stake out the frontiers of the field, posing problems that will inspire and direct future generations of scientists. * Daniel Sheehan, University of San Diego * I think that the book's collection of topics and its unique style make it a useful addition to the more standard textbook offering. Moreover, given the more colloquial style of the book, I imagine that it may be suitable for an audience that is interested in the physics of emergence and complexity that goes beyond the popular science literature. * Stefan Kirchner, Zhejiang University * I expect that anyone interested in complex systems and who has the requisite knowledge of elementary calculus and linear algebra will find When Things Grow Many to be a rewarding read. * Robert Deegan, University of Michigan, Physics Today * I enjoyed reading When Things Grow Many and learned something new from each chapter. Schulman writes in a conversational style, and he peppers the book with jokes and opinions. Even though he intimates that he doesn't have all the answers, his fun, inviting tone will make readers want to find out if he does. * Robert Deegan, Physics Today * This book ensures that all readers can grasp the fundamental principles and applications of physics, making it an excellent educational tool for a wide range of students. * Miguel A. F. Sanju'an, Contemporary Physics * This book ensures that all readers can grasp the fundamental principles and applications of physics, making it an excellent educational tool for a wide range of students. * Miguel A. F. Sanju'an, Contemporary Physics *

Author Information

Since completing his PhD at Princeton University, Lawrence S. Schulman has taught at Indiana University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and is currently a Professor of Physics at Clarkson University. His research interests span statistical physics, condensed matter physics, quantum mechanics and cosmology. He has contributed to diverse areas from galactic morphology to the arrow of time and has authored two books and numerous articles in these fields. He is fascinated by the miracle of statistical mechanics.

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